Bowral Bridge Club welcomes members and guests of all levels of bridge experience at our friendly club.

We are ABF and NSWBA affiliated.

 Duplicate bridge is played on Monday at 12.30pm and Thursday morning at 9.30am.

We are moving through a comprehensive calendar of bridge events for 2020. 

Our next event is on July 24-26 when we host the NSWBA State Veteran Pairs Championship 2020

Our comfortable card room overlooks the lush trees and fairways of the historic Bowral Golf Club.

Delicious delights made by the golf club's chef are available throughout our sessions, including freshly made scones, sandwiches and coffee on arrival.

A superb lunch menu and local wines are also available - by the log fire in winter - or on the verandah on warm, sunny days or evenings.

Partners can be arranged by Bob Young or Thelma Huxham who will be delighted to welcome and assist you.

If you are a visitor, our club is a short walk from town.

2/1 Game Force ABF Training February 12, 2020 from BBClub on Vimeo.

Participants enjoyed every moment of this highly informative training session in which Joan Butts, the ABF National Teaching Coordinator, took us through the latest developments  and ideas in the

2/1 Game Force system.

Her overriding aim was to show trainee teachers the best teaching methods, for training other interested bridge players, at all levels. 

Joan leads by example in her sessions, which are carefully structured to ensure energy levels of participants are always maintained and everyone is involved in hands-on exercises and the playing of bridge hands.

♠

If you have no entry, don’t bother establishing your suit, seek greener pastures.

If you lead partner’s suit, you win the postmortem.

Don’t lead an unaccompanied Ace.

♠ 

ABF Teacher Training with Joan Butts from BBClub on Vimeo.

ABF National Teaching Coordinator, Joan Butts delivered an absorbing six-hour teacher training session.

Club members were joined by members of Port Hacking, Parramatta, Nowra and Southern Highlands Bridge Clubs.

  Everyone came away with new teaching skills as well as a greater depth and appreciation of the game of bridge. 

Unintended calls

 by Matthew McManus, Chief Director, New South Wales Bridge Association 1995-

 An error which arises because of the player's loss of concentration as to the level of the auction cannot be changed... even though the call may not be one which the player ever intended to make.

For example, with spades agreed as trumps, West bids 4NT, Blackwood. East responds 5♥ (two without the queen). West starts thinking about whether to bid the slam or sign off at the five level. Eventually, he decides that 5♠ is enough, but this decision comes out as Pass. Even though he never intended to pass, he can no longer change the call to the bid of 5♠ he intended.

The same principle now also applies in regard to declarer's call of a card from dummy. Effectively, only legitimate slips of the tongue can now be changed. Loss of concentration or changes of mind are not viable excuses to correct. For instance, saying "small, I mean ace" will now mean that no change is allowed.

 A slip of the tongue can be allowed by the Director. Potential allowable examples:

 ♠  "king of hearts, I mean king of diamonds" .                

♠ "small spade" while declarer is pointing at dummy's clubs.

edited and with kind permission from Matthw McManus 

Kiama ABF Teacher Training from BBClub on Vimeo.

Several members braved the weather to attend this ABF training day.  Kiama Bridge Club members provided a very generous morning tea and lunch.  

 Joan Butts, ABF's National Teaching Coordinator ran the session. Joan has owned and run her own bridge club for over 25 years. She is a Silver Grand Master and has played for Australia in World Championships and written several bridge books. It's hard to convey just how many valuable insights she gave on the game, during the session. 

In this session we were taken through the twenty topics on card play that Joan has built for beginners - all beautifully structured and thoroughly planned. 

We faced three road blocks on the way home before finding a way through and are very grateful to Mardi Svensson for driving us in such treacherous conditions.

 This week it's Bowral's turn to host ABF training days and we look forward to extending our hospitality to other clubs' members.

Bushfires Fundraiser.

The club held its ABF fund raising event on January 20, with 18 tables being filled.

Members and visitors had an enjoyable afternoon and were very happy to be contributing to the appeal.

Bowral Golf Club and the ABF generously waived their fees for the day and we thank them.

Thanks also goes to Sherri Gates our Chief Scorer for handling an unexpectedly large field of players and tables on the day and to Club President Bob Young, our newest Director.

The President has advised that the 70 players raised $2,160.  The club contributed a further $2,340, which allowed us to assist three local entities with a $1,500 donation each -

 WIRES wildlife animal rescue    Wingecarribie Rural Fire Service    Lord Mayor Relief Fund.

NEWSLETTER - February 2020

(ABF newsletters are published bimonthly).